EastEnders newcomer Laura Doddington teases Nicola Mitchell's big secret: 'She feels exposed'

In a new interview shared with RadioTimes.com, the star reveals Nicola's manipulative side and the claim she believes she still has over Teddy.

With Teddy and Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) sharing an ongoing flirtation, there's a clash on the horizon between the Albert Square veteran and this "bombastic" newcomer, so it's sure to be a dramatic week!

Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) should also watch her back, but happily, Doddington shares her joy at working with her new co-stars.

Read on as the actress teases what to expect from the fiery Nicola.

What brings Nicola to Walford?

"Nicola has been away in Bali, and she's got back and had a tip-off that Harry is going to be arrested. She comes to Walford to help deal with that - in her unique, bombastic Nicola Mitchell way!"

Why didn't she tell Teddy and the boys that she was heading over?

"It's safe to say she's not necessarily in their best books. That's why there's been no forwarding texts saying, 'I'm coming to help!'"

When Nicola arrives, she's very quick to take charge. Why is it so important to her to take the lead in helping Harry?

"The divorce with Teddy has made Nicola look at herself and how she's behaved, and she wants her family back as a unit. She wants to show her children that she is supportive and loves them very much. And her way of doing that is to come in and fix things. She's a fixer!"

She quickly targets Penny as Nicola realises she's involved in his arrest. How does she approach dealing with Penny?

"She's like a cat with a mouse! Nicola is so protective of her children and she's not trusting the way Penny is with Harry. Nicola doesn't trust Penny at all - her dad's in the police force!

"So, Nicola's very watchful of Penny's every move, and I think her way of dealing with people like that is to intimidate them. She plays with Penny a bit, and then when she spots her weakness, she exposes it."

What is Nicola's dynamic with Teddy like?

"Nicola loves Teddy, and she wants him back. But they were definitely not what we would call a functioning couple. Nicola is quite manipulative with most people, but she can't manipulate Teddy as well as she used to, and that infuriates her.

"They got together when they were young and went from being kids to being adults together and finding out who they were while in a relationship with each other. From that comes this ability to press each other's buttons very quickly and know before they press them what's going to happen."

Teddy is trying to move forward after the divorce. Is that hard for Nicola?

"I think it's heartbreaking and infuriating. Nicola is used to getting what she wants. There is a human trait that we all have of, 'I want it. Why can't I have it?' As children, we learn to curb that instinct, but Nicola hasn't. So, with Teddy, her thoughts are, 'I want him. Why can't I have him?'"

How does she feel when Teddy tells Barney her secret?

"Nicola is angry and embarrassed, and she feels exposed. Teddy's the only person who can expose her like that. She's usually one step ahead, but she isn't one step ahead when Teddy does that.

"Nicola wants her boys back and she's going to fight to do that. But Teddy's revelation means she's got to backtrack and re-earn Barney's trust. Nicola doesn't want things to be hard, she wants them to be easy, so this puts a spanner in the works for her."

What happens when she meets Sharon?

"The scene is so much fun because they clash right away! Letitia Dean is heaven to work with, and our first scene contains a line that's my favourite I've ever said on screen! Nicola is not a woman's woman, and she's just not interested in women, not interested in female friendships, not interested in that support network.

"At that initial moment, it could be Sharon or any other woman that she’s being rude to. But once she finds out that Sharon and Teddy have a flirtation, she sees Sharon as an obstacle to overcome and starts thinking how to scupper things between them. Nicola will do whatever it takes to get Teddy back, so Sharon should watch her back."

What does Nicola make of the rest of the Mitchells?

"Initially, she's just sizing everyone up. She's heard of Phil because of his reputation, and she's intrigued by him and whether he can manipulate him. With Honey, she spots that this is a nice person who she can get her claws into if needs be.

"She knows Honey is too nice to say no to her, like when she invites herself to lunch. She didn't know about Billy’s existence, so she wants to meet Teddy’s brother and get to know him. Mostly, she's looking to see if she can turn any situation to her advantage."

What has it been like to work with Roland, Elijah and Lewis?

"It's been absolutely divine. One thing that has really surprised me is how much the cast is like a company in a theatre. Everyone is so supportive. Roland, Elijah and Lewis have been so lovely. I had some big monologues to do in the first couple of weeks, and they were so supportive and helped me run lines until I was happy. It feels like we're family already."

What can we expect from Nicola Mitchell in her first few weeks in Albert Square?

"Nicola is a woman who knows her mind and isn't intimidated by anyone or anything. What I love about her is that she is an intelligent woman and quite witty. So, you can expect a woman who is not afraid to make her mark."

Read more:

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• Will Linda die in EastEnders or is it another Carter? All the theories

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

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